Coronavirus: Dentist offices remain open for emergencies only, but what’s an emergency?

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — You can’t get a cleaning or cosmetic procedure at the dentist right now, but local practitioners do want you to call, text or email if you have an urgent issue or emergency.

It’s in an effort to keep people out of the emergency room amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Read: Coronavirus: Osceola County issues stay-at-home order for two weeks starting Thursday night

Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an order prohibiting nonurgent and nonemergency dental procedures, and the Florida Dental Association approves the governor’s decision.

The goal is to keep patients out of the ER, but each dentist may interpret the directive differently. The American Dental Association provided some guidance. It says urgent cases include dry-socket dressing changes, abscessed teeth, bacterial infections and tooth fractures that cause pain or trauma.

Click here to see the ADA’s full list of dental emergencies.

The ADA says the guidance it’s giving could change as pandemic-related restrictions do, and as more information about the virus becomes available.

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